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Eric.ed.gov – Saxon Math. What Works Clearinghouse Intervention Report

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: “Saxon Math” is a textbook series covering grades K-12 based on incremental development and continual review of mathematical concepts to give students time to learn and practice concepts throughout the year. The series is aligned with standards of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) and various states, and can be adapted for special education students in inclusion classrooms, pullout programs, or self-contained resource classrooms. Although content differs by course, the incremental, distributed approach of “Saxon Math” is the same, with mathematical concepts presented in a series of short “lessons” intended to gradually build understanding and previously-taught concepts practiced and assessed throughout the course. Developed in the early 1980s, “Saxon Math” included four middle school math textbooks used in the studies included in this intervention report.… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Skinning the Pythagorean Cat: A Study of Strategy Preferences of Secondary Math Teachers

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: A series of observations in math classrooms revealed a pervasive problem of “re-teaching”. It matters little the subject; before the teacher can begin teaching new material, basic skills often have to be re-taught before the lesson can move forward. Perhaps some methods are more effective than others in the classroom. Consequently, this study addressed two research questions: Q1: What teaching strategies are considered preferential by math teachers for teaching math concepts? Q2: Do teacher demographics influence those teacher preferences? Consequently, this study seeks to add to the existing literature regarding math teacher preferences for teaching the Pythagorean Theorem to high achieving and low achieving secondary mathematics students. Thirty mathematics teachers were asked to rate their preferences of six research-based standards with respect to teaching a specific math… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Math at Work: Using Numbers on the Job

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: Math is used in many occupations. And, experts say, workers with a strong background in mathematics are increasingly in demand. That equals prime opportunity for career-minded math enthusiasts. This article describes how math factors into careers. The first section talks about some of the ways workers use math in the workplace. The second section focuses on three occupations that use math: (1) cryptologists; (2) health data analysts; and (3) math teachers. A third section highlights reasons why workers enjoy their math-related careers and discusses some of their challenges. And a final section suggests sources for more information. (Contains 2 tables.) Link til kilde

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Eric.ed.gov – The Math Learning Gap: Preparing STEM Technicians for the New Rural Economy

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: The Rural Math Excel Partnership (RMEP) identified math competencies used by technicians in the workplace compared to standards of learning required in the public school curriculum. A modified DACUM process revealed 39 math competencies used by technicians in STEM-related occupations of the rural region. Group interviews with faculty in three community colleges helped substantiate math gaps. A project math specialist and team of teachers identified four types of learning gaps: (1) math competencies not included in state standards; (2) math competencies included in state standards taught prior to Algebra I, Algebra II, Geometry, and Algebra Functions and Data Analysis (AFDA) courses; (3) math competencies included in high school state standards that students struggle to learn; and (4) math competencies community college students struggle to learn. Implications include… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Is There Room in Math Reform for Preservice Teachers to Use Reading Strategies? National Implications

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: Background: Research is proposed for preservice secondary mathematics teachers to develop and use reading strategies in math classrooms. Purpose: to determine if increased instruction on using specific reading strategies in secondary mathematics classrooms significantly impacts a) the type of reading-specific instructional strategies used, b) awareness of preservice math teachers of their roles as content reading teachers and understanding of reading issues as related to mathematics. Setting: University undergraduate content area reading course for preservice teachers; university undergraduate mathematics methods course for preservice secondary math teachers. Study Sample: all secondary preservice teachers enrolled in each course will participate. Intervention: The treatment course students will receive intensified reading training in the content area reading course as relates to mathematics. Additionally, specific reading strategies will be discussed in the math… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Use of GeoGebra in Primary Math Education in Lithuania: An Exploratory Study from Teachers’ Perspective

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: With the advance of information and communications technologies, new teaching tools are becoming more pervasive. These tools can be utilized in a variety of ways to improve and enhance math teaching. Considering the integration of technology in teaching mathematics, it is clear that the replacement of board and chalk with digital presentation material does not cover all the aspects of the mathematic subjects. One of the important prerequisites for quality of integration technology into mathematics teaching is the teacher’s personality, i.e. knowledge, willingness and desire to improve his/her lessons bringing mathematics closer to the present generations of pupils. GeoGebra as a dynamic mathematics software allows users to explore multiple representations of mathematics concepts. The paper deals with the problem of deployment of GeoGebra in Lithuanian’s primary math… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – End the Math Wars

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: In 1999, Richard Lee Colvin published an article in “The School Administrator” titled “Math Wars: Tradition vs. Real-World Applications” that described the pendulum swing of mathematics education reform. On one side are those who advocate for computational fluency, with a step-by-step emphasis on numbers and skills and the algebra-geometry-trigonometry-calculus sequence. On the other side are those who think students must engage with real-world problems that employ a variety of mathematical disciplines and deep learning of math concepts that comes from struggling with complex problems, comparing multiple solution paths, and learning from trial and error. To understand what it will take to bring the two sides of the mathematics debate together, first consider the approach each side takes to improve student achievement. One side wants to focus mostly… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Cardboard Boat Building in Math Class

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: If you want to get the attention of a group of eighth grade math students, tell them they are going to build a life-size cardboard boat. To increase interest, follow up this statement by telling them that two to four of them will actually be rowing this boat across a small pond. Eighth grade math students at Oasis Charter Middle School in southwest Florida have completed this project for the past four years. What has now become a source of great student pride at the school began as a challenge by the eighth grade teachers to their students. The teachers sought to develop a capstone project, which brought together the key mathematical issues students should learn in their middle grades math classes (i.e., scale, volume, Pythagorean theorem).… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Evaluation of the Rural Math Excel Partnership Project Final Report

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: This is the final external evaluation report prepared by SRI International for the Rural Math Excel Partnership (RMEP) project, an investing in innovation (i3) development project funded by the U.S. Department of Education. Operated by Virginia Advanced Study Strategies, Inc. (VASS), the RMEP project included six rural school districts (LEAs) in five Virginia counties as partners. The project goal was to develop and implement a model of shared responsibility among families, math teachers, and communities in rural areas to prepare students enrolled in Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, and Algebra Functions and Data Analysis (AFDA) courses for success in advanced high school and postsecondary STEM studies. The long term outcome was for students to leave school ready, at a minimum, to enroll in postsecondary programs focused on… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Implementing Personal Devices in Math

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: This study examined the effect of implementing personal devices into a fifth-grade mathematics classroom. Thirty-eight fifth graders participated in this eight-week project with a focus on six students to track their growth. During this study, students engaged in technology-based stations that pertained to our geometry unit and coordinate unit. Students took pre and post tests on paper to track progress. In addition, students completed online assessments within their practice websites to track comprehension and growth of the content. Furthermore, students were observed to ensure they were staying engaged in the online activities and to track student engagement about using personal devices within math. Link til kilde